Can-opener.



- No. 744,914. PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

M. L. HAWKS.

CAN OPENER. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 5, 1903.

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V UNITED STATES llatented November 24, 1903.

MOSES L. HAWKS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,914, dated November 24, 1908.

Application filed August 5. 1903- To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MOSES L. HAWKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in-Gan-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of the present invention is a novel can-opener having for its primary object a sim ple and efficient compound arrangement of knives or blades whereby the adaptability of the device for opening both round and square cans is promoted and the knives or blades maintained practically rigid when the tool is conditioned for either purpose.

With the above and other purposes in view the opener involves a frame more conveniently of cast metal, one portion of said frame presenting a handle or grasping part, while the other portion has at its remote end a contering-spur, together with a plate or section carrying blades or knives adapted for serving with round or square cans, respectively, the frame and blade being so mutually engaged that while maintaining the same in mutual engagement the plate is capable of being shifted to condition the tool for either of the purposes for which it is designed and the plate capable of being rigidly held to resist the end thrust incurred during the canopening operation.

There are other important features connected with the invention which, in addition to those above alluded to, are set forth in the subsequent detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming-a part of this specification, Figure l is a plan view of a can-opener embodying my invention, the tool being shown as adjusted for opening square cans. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the tool, the same being illustrated as arranged for opening round cans. Fig. 8 is a central longitudinal section of the tool, the sectionbeing taken in the plane indicated by the broken line 3 3, Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the general configuration of the blank forming the blade sectionor plate.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings where they occur.

The main or body part of the tool is pre- Serial in. 168,336. (No model.)

sented by a frame consisting of a'handle or grasping part A and a longitudinally-disposed shank F terminating in a centeringspur G. Both the handle and shank are liberally recessed, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive. Preferably the top surface of the handle side bars are slightly depressed contiguous to their inner edges. The under faces of the said side bars are. outwardly beveled at F as indicated by the shade-lines in Fig. 2, and readily comprehended by the crosssectional character of the handle-butt in Fig. 3. The inner edges of the parallel side bars forming the shank are vertical for a short distance from the upper surfaces of the bars, and the latter are then outwardly beveled, as indicated by E in Figs. 2 and 3. At the point where the handle contracts and merges in the shank is a cross-bar H, the top of which lies in a corresponding horizontal plane with that of the upper surfaces of the shank-bars. The recess or slot in the shank contracts in its front end to form stop-shouldersf, which limit the forward movement of the sliding plate B.

The blade-carrying plate or section B primarily comprises a blank of sheet-steel of the outline configuration disclosed in Fig. 4 and consisting of an extended body portion pro vided at one end with a dart-shaped blade 0, connected with the body port-ion by a contracted flat neck, a laterally-located longitudinally-extended blade 0 connecting with the body portion at one side and near its forward end. The blade 0 extends longitudinally some distance beyond the blade 0 and is pointed at its end. The inner edge of the blade 0 and also that of c is ground to provide a cutting edge suitable for the purpose designed.

At the rear end of the plate B is a transversely-disposed oval thumb-rest D, contiguous to which are oppositely-extending lateral ears D D.

During the operation of dying out the blank for the knife-plate the body portion of the said plate is appropriately slitted to form one or more longitudinal tongues E, which are slightly depressed or struck out, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3.

In assembling the frame and plate described the blank (shown in Fig. 4:) has its knife 0 bent down at an angle to the rest of the plate. Inasmuch as the widest portion of the blade 0' when the latter is bent, as explained, is too wide to pass downward between the top edges of the shank-slot, the plate B is turned laterally, so that the knife 0' will readily descend through the slot, whereupon the plate B can be swung to a position in horizontal alinement with regard to the frame, and thereby bringing the blade to a proper transverse position within and below the slot, with the wider portion of said blade engaged with the under beveled surface F of the shank. This serves to slidingly connect the forward portion of the plate with the shank. A similar connection is secured for the rear part of the plate with the handle by bending down the ears D D until they can pass between the handle side bars and then spreading them, so that they'will bear under the lower beveled faces of the handle bars. With the frame and plate thus related it will be readily comprehended that in opening a square can the plate will occupy the advanced position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with its blade a stopped against the shouldersfand the end of its rearmost tongue E immediately infront of the crossbar or abutment H. Consequently by causing the thumb of the grasping-hand to exert a slight pressure upon the rest'D' the plate B will be so held down upon the frame that the rearward movement of the latter will be prevented by the bar or abutment H in the path oft-he rear tongue E. The parts being in the position immediately above described, a portion of the blade 0 will project beyond the end of the frame. Now by applying the tool so that the centering-spur will bear against the outer side of the edge portion of the can the end of the blade 0 will penetrate the cantop at a point immediately within the upper edge, after which the tool can be worked in the manner of an ordinary can-opener to make a cut parallel with and in close proximity to the edge. The bearing of the spur externally at the can edge prevents the blade from being diverted during the opening operation, and the blade 0', bearing within the side bars E of the slotted shank, prevents any lateral movement of the knife 0.

In opening a can having a circular top the rear end of the plate B is raised to a slight extent previously provided for in engaging theparts, so that the rear tongue E will clear the bar I-I, whereupon said plate can be longitudinally retracted to bring the blade 0 to any desired position, after which the spur G can be caused to puncture the can-top at an appropriately central point, and in bringing the tool to ahorizontal position the blade 0' will be forced through the top at a point concentric with such fulcrum. Now by carrying the tool in the direction of the cutting edge 0 a circular cut will be made and the can opened in a manner readily apparent.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide a can-opener with blades for opening both round and square top cans; but in my novel arrangement, as before described, the can-opener consists of only two pieces or parts. The frame can easily be cast in one piece of metal, and the plate B, with its two blades, and other important features are embodied in a single piece of sheet-steel, which can be easily applied and insure the several features serving with efficiency and convenience.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

. 1. A can-opener having a frame provided with a centering-spur, and having longitudinally-slotted shank, and handle portions with parallel side bars beveled outward at their lower sides; and an elongated movable section having forward-depending and horizontally-disposed blades, the depending blade engaged between the beveled surfaces of the side bars of the shank, whereby the forward portion of the said section is secured to the frame, said section also having laterally-projecting ears bent to engage the inner beveled surfaces of the handle side bars, whereby the rear portion of said section is secured to the frame, as shown and described.

2.. A can-opener comprising a frame provided with a centering-spur, and having longitudinally-slotted shank, and handle portions with parallel side bars beveled outward at their lower sides, and a cross-bar serving as an abutment; with a movable section having forward-depending and horizontally-disposed blades, the depending blade engaged between the shank side bars and laterallyprojecting ears bent to engage the handle side bars, said section also embodying a depressed tongue for contact with the cross-bar, and a rear thumb-rest substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MOSES L. HAWKS. Witnesses:

EDWARD W. Fox, N. J. HAWKS.

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